We spent Spring Break road tripping! We decided to do something nearby because traveling with kids isn’t always easy and we have two energetic toddlers and a hungry baby! So we had to plan something with plenty of breaks for us all. We hadn’t been to Albuquerque, new Mexico yet so we figured it would be nice to go see what it’s all about, even if there wasn’t much. Road tripping and traveling is in the end exactly that…discovering new places and making memories along the way.

It was actually a very nice trip. We slowly worked our way to Albuquerque making many stops along the way. Our first stop was in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We definitely needed that stop for food and to give the the kiddos a much needed break. We didn’t really do much exploring here, we were just hungry. Then, we made it to White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, which was amazingly fun! The kids absolutely loved it! The sand was so soft and powdery, almost flour like! The kids immediately started rolling around in it. I’m talking about sand everywhere! A popular activity there is to go sledding on the dunes! Yup that’s a thing and it was so much fun, even Rosie did it with dad! It was very nice to see the boys enjoy themselves. They absolutely loved it!

The next day we headed to Cloudcroft, New Mexico, a 110 year old mountain community.  Our main attraction there was BBQ baby!!! We ate at Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue and let me tell you; it is one of the best barbecues we’ve had! The brisket was my favorite and absolutely A M A Z I N G, hubs preferred the ginormous Dino Rib which was still absolutely amazing!! It was definitely a delightful meal and the reason we will be back to this town. Noms Noms Noms NOMS! I wish we would have had more time to explore the community, there were cute little shops everywhere, but it was cold and our kids were not having it! They were so ready for their naps and made that very clear while we were trying to eat so we decided to take advantage of nap time and drive to the next destination.

Our next stop was San Antonio, NM where we found an awesome photo opportunity! We were actually searching for a playground to let them burn some energy but we couldn’t find one and instead found a train track with a rustic wooden bridge and you know mamarazi is my middle name! The town was so small and yet so full of character, I enjoyed seeing the differences and experiencing that small town vibe.  I thought Tucson gave me that small town vibe but I saw and felt it more here. We decided to stop for a green chile burger at Owl Bar Cafe. We were pleasantly impressed with the simplicity yet deliciousness of the burger from what seems to us as a “hole in the wall place.” This restaurant/bar looked like it would have very basic food but it’s was basically really good!!! Get it? HA!

By the time we made it to Albuquerque we were undeniably beat and ready to just relax. We spent the evening at the hotel pool and hoped for a pleasant night’s rest. The boys (that includes hubs too) quickly found kids to play with at the pool, while Rosie and I watched from the pool stairs. The water was too cold for baby Rosie but we still enjoyed watching the boys play while we dipped our feet in the water.

The next day was my favorite and the reason why I was personally looking forward to this trip. Drumroll please….a ride on the Sandia Peak Tramway – with breathtaking panoramic views and mountain top snow. The views are absolutely impressive! The tram takes you atop Sandia Mountain at 10,378 feet! The ride up was actually very windy, a bit too much for my liking. The attendant on the tram warned us on feeling a “bump and a sway” at each tower. I held on tight and braced myself, some passengers even gasped when we felt the “bump and the sway.” Baby Rosie nursed on the way up and ended up sleeping the entire time!! She woke up on the way down with just enough time to snap a few quick pictures of her as proof that she was there. HA!

The boys must have had a different idea in their heads because they were so prepared to “climb” the mountain. They insisted pretty heavily that they wanted to hike – 30 degree weather with snow and all! So hubs took them on a little walking adventure while I held my breath at each step they took. Yeah, I’m that mom, especially in those altitudes. The snow was very slippery making it difficult for them to even walk on it but they still enjoyed it.

We spent that night in Holbrook, Arizona, mainly because it was the halfway point to Phoenix and you know road trips with kids need checkpoints like that. The final thing on our itinerary was the Arizona Renaissance Festival in Apache Junction, Arizona. The boys admired all the festival goers dressed in costume and would awe when seeing anyone with a sword of any kind. The one thing they did not enjoy was all the walking and the change of weather, we went from playing in the snow to trying to hide from the blazing sun.

Overall, we had a very nice trip. It isn’t easy to travel anywhere with kids but we enjoy making the memories. We try to make the boring stuff fun for them. They enjoyed going to a “new house” (aka hotel) every night, even though the loading/unloading – packing/unpacking every day was so much work. One night we let them start a pillow fight and enjoyed watching them jump from one bed to the next trying to get each other. We were so entertained watching them pick their beds and “settle in” by deciding where they will put their shoes and belongings. Sebastian is the first to find the control to the TV and look in the fridge for snacks with disappointment in his face. Alex is quick to play with the hotel phone and open every drawer to see what he finds. Rosie is just comfortably content being held while taking in all her surroundings.

They all did pretty okay on the road. Rosie was probably the best one! She simply cried when hungry or needed a diaper change, easy peasy! The boys were another story…we had to constantly feed them snacks to distract them from being bored and fighting with each other. We eventually picked up a RedBox movie for them and that worked like magic! Hubs enjoys driving but I’m sure it’s exhausting for him as well. I have the easiest job…I get to play DJ!! Woot Woot! Best job ever! HA. Ok not really, hubs isn’t a fan of my DJ skills and booted my music a few times but whatever. I got to enjoy the views, pass out snacks to everyone and even got to read my book.

Anyway, below are some of the pictures we took. I didn’t meant to write so much but ugh it’s just so hard when I’m so keen on memory keeping. I can’t afford to not document certain stories while on our family adventures.

 

The Villa’s Travel – New Mexico

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White Sands National Monument

Alamogordo, New Mexico

Cloudcroft, New Mexico

San Antonio, New Mexico

Sandia Peak Tramway

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Arizona Renaissance Festival

Apache Junction, Arizona

March 2019

#4yearsold #3yearsold #7monthsold

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Confession: I CAN NOT say the word Albuquerque and its driving me nuts. It doesn’t matter how many times I say it or write it I just can’t say it correctly. Hubs makes fun of me every time. Here’s how it always comes out when I say it. Al-Boo-Cork-Key. I swear I slow down and think before saying it but somehow I still say it my way. Errhhh!!!